The rift in the world
by thekidflash
Summary: A new intern arrives at the same time as a realization linking the lives of the Jeffersonian forensics team to a new murder. Things get messy when things that were deemed only as theory and fantasy become reality.


Disclaimer: This is a very odd crossover. Before you ask? No. I have no idea what I'm doing. It's just goof ball shenanigans with two franchises which have absolutely nothing to do with each other what so ever. I'm trying to at least have some cohesive story telling, at the very least. Bare with me.

Also, with the exception of a few rogues, all the characters from the COH side are either created by myself or my friend.

* * *

Mid morning sun beamed down through the sky lights in the lobby of the Jeffersonian building. It was a slow morning, and no field trips scheduled for a tour around the exhibits in the main museum area. A young blond stepped up into the forensics lab, with Camille flashing her security ID for her to enter with a approving beep.

Above them, the lights flickered, attracting the attention of only Dr Brennan, who was attending to a body of remains pulled from storage for evaluating the young woman's observation skills, and the woman herself.

"Dr Brennan, this is Kylie Reyes. I'm willing to hire her on as a temp intern for the next three months if you are." She handed over Kylie's academic records to the Doctor.

"Hello..." Brennan nodded curtly to Reyes, nodding towards the medical gloves and the lab coat. "Please dress accordingly. I'd like to see if you can accurately pin point the cause of death."

Moment of truth. Reyes quickly picked up the lab coat and slipped it on. A bit big on her, but she'll adapt. Once she was ready, she swallowed nervously, wondering if reading all of those books and papers would be enough? It was hard to absorb so much information in such a short time.

She approached the remains tentatively, looking at the bones. She paused a moment, looking over the face briefly, a hole in the back of the head coming through the eye.

"Oosh." She snorted with mild amusement.

"Is there something amusing?"

"No, it's just pity. And you picked a pretty interesting specimen here. The way the spine-" She put two fingers below the lumbar vertebrae. "Is intact, along with the scapula, indicates that there wasn't a fall, which is what I immediately think of when I see the hole in the occipital plate in the back of the skull. This indicates that the victim was laying face down when something was thrust through the back of his head." Reyes said, looking him over once more, still looking around.

"I concur." Brennan replied.

"Further, the cervical vertebrae is broken. Broken neck. Breaks in the arm, the legs, the pelvis." She nods. "Pushed down the stairs, I'm going to guess. But not before being stabbed by something ribht below the sternum."

"Very good, Ms. Reyes." Brennan gave an approving nod, squinting her eyes while the lights above flickered and hummed before turning off completely. It was only directly over the lab, which was especially annoying.

"Bug in the system?" Kylie asked.

"We're not sure." Brennan admitted. "We've already had it looked at by our electrician and a third party. Ah, in any case I don't see how that's particularly pertinent to the task at hand, although I would find it difficult to work under these conditions. I'd like to, however, extend my approval to Camille. I would not be against having you on, although I would recommend that you continue studies. You were indeed accurate, but your vocabulary and methodology does need refining."

"Thanks for the crit." Reyes said, looking just a bit deflated, but easing that off when she heard the buzz of Brennan's phone.

"That would be fine. Still I'd like to continue talking to you regarding- Hold on a moment." Brennan took a phone call. "Brennan."

Reyes took her eyes away, glancing to Camille who offered a polite smile, looking up to the lights as they miraculously came back on.

"It's Booth. Remains were found under the bridge at Rock Street Park." She glanced briefly to Reyes, her lips flat lined. A questioning look game from her.

"We're bringing a new intern to the site for observation only." Brennan noted, then turned back to look to the others. They'd be there in short time. She was about to step down the stairs to get suited up before uttering a very slight 'Oh', and turning her head around sharply to look up at the level overlooking the lab. Brennan could feel her pulse accelerating, a response to a potential threat. But looking behind her she saw nothing.

"Are you alright, Dr. Brennan?" Cam wondered, her brows creased in the middle with concern.

"I... yes. I thought I saw something in that mirror. I was mistaken." She said, coming down from her momentary lapse in judgment. She had thought she had seen a black panther, of all things, stalking them from above. It was more than unlikely, it was impossible. She dismissed it, wondering if she needed to take an early break after her initial examination of the new remains. Without another word, she moved around them to head to the locker room to suit up, the other two women following.

* * *

The remains were unlike anything Dr Brennan had seen before. Lacerations in the flesh and deep into the bone indicated swords, or some device made out of metal to simulate the action of claws, as it almost had looked like an animal had done this man in. It was a male, mid thirties, leash in clutched in hand with the collar missing. He had been walking his dog, she noted. Very little marks on his bones indicating a struggle. What was really odd was the cauterized flesh going through all the way his rib cage, at both ends. A clean hole through flesh and bone alike. To her knowledge... "I don't know of anything that could have done this."

"Hot iron spike?" Booth wondered aloud, "Sad to say, Bones, but I'm kinda lost here too, but... But hey. We could be looking for someone in the industrial industry. Lasers? Could have killed him somewhere else, bring him here?"

"We already have the sight of the killing, up the hill on the path. Same claw marks up near that tree." Hodgins announced, clipping pictures of the victim laying at their feet. "Whoa... What happened here? I figured we're dealing with another ninja wannabe."

"Not sure. It does appear to be cause of death." Brennan stated, rising to her feet to look at the middle aged man who had met an untimely demise. A flicker of the flash light she was using caused her to frown. She looked up to Booth. "Have you noticed lights flickering on and off?" Really, she posed the question to anyone.

"What's that got to do with the case?" Booth wondered, exchanging a look with Cam and Hodgins.

Reyes observed, her brows knit with worry behind them all.

"Maybe nothing. But for nearly three weeks we've had electrical problems at the Jeffersonian, at home... with my cellphone." She looked to the others, who all had the same expression. They were all having the same problem. Booth, at home, had tried to fix it. There hadn't been a case in a few weeks, and Brennan had been busy with her daughter as well as dealing with other smaller matters.

"I thought it was only at home." Booth stated.

"Me and Angie have the same problem." Hodgins conceded, pausing and looking at Brennan. "Given the insect development, I estimate time of death to be..."

"Three weeks?" Cam asked, a bit of shock on her face.

Brennan gave Booth a hard look. It was a bizarre turn of events, but it was an observation that she did not want to overlook even though it was far too much speculation to be sure. "We need to get this back to the lab and identified."

"Just so long as nobody suggests we're being haunted." Booth remarks, eying Hodgins specifically.

"I find it unlikely that would be the case given the lack of credible evidence or credible sightings. Although the time of year would lend itself to such speculation. I will admit a certain amount of apprehension. We should get these remains back for examination as soon as possible. Also, take samples of the rock bed under the wound, there appears to be burn marks. It may help narrow down the murder weapon."

"Yeah... sure." Booth said with a unnerved tone. This situation had him on edge, but it was such a mundane thing that had some how all linked them to this case, if a bit coincidental. Must be that October air. "Look, Bones. Don't worry about the timing. It's a fluke."

"That may be the case, but we still need to gather more evidence." She reminded him, once again curt.

Once the others were making their way back to the cars, Reyes stuck behind only for a moment, looking up at the pitch black adolescent lion crouching above on the bridge watching them all. It was broad daylight and nobody batted an eye at it. But she knew that cat, and the only reason she had noticed was because she already knew he was there, otherwise he was right outside of visible perception. With a slight nod, she turned from him to join the others.


End file.
